As Dr. Tucker directly discussed with this patient, our staff is very sorry for the mis-communication that occurred in our office regarding insurance coverage. As insurance can be very confusing for both the patient and provider, we maintain an open door policy for patients to discuss with us any issue related to insurance or procedures. Insurance should be viewed as an aid in helping make dental treatment affordable. Unlike other types of insurance, dental insurance will generally not pay for 100% of services and the patient will have a deductible and/or co-payment that they are responsible for paying. Insurance plan benefits are decreasing and the amount that patients are responsible for is, therefore, increasing. Payment percentages are decreasing and payment of services by secondary insurance plans is no longer guaranteed due to cost-cutting non-duplication of benefits clauses in contracts.

Our focus on providing high-quality dental treatment requires a considerable time commitment. Providing a skilled and knowledgeable staff, modern technology, thorough assessment and exceptional patient education, care, delivery to every patient is costly. Unfortunately, insurance companies do not compensate for expertise, time, and technology; they only pay for procedures. As stated on our Office Payment Policy form signed by every patient, ?We are only a provider for Delta Dental Premier and Guardian Preferred PPO insurance policies as well as Cigna Dental Savings Plan. Because of this, if you are covered under any other PPO plan that does not pay us directly you will owe the total fee at the time of service.? By limiting our involvement to only three insurance companies, we are able to provide adequate time and attention to each patient in order to ensure that we deliver care which meets or exceeds our patient?s expectations.

We devote a great deal of our time to prevention and we view this situation as an opportunity to improve our communication skills. We have amended our standard new patient forms to include a statement encouraging patients to ask questions regarding insurance coverage or office protocols. Additionally, we have discussed as a team the challenges that insurance coverage creates such as complex insurance language, misnomers, and misunderstanding of insurance intent and coverage. In recognizing these challenges, we are able to better understand and address patient concerns with their insurance coverage. We will continue to maintain our focus on providing superior care to every patient through our commitment to spend adequate time and direct sufficient attention to each individual. We sincerely appreciate patient feedback and welcome the opportunity to better serve our patients!

1. Payment is due at the time the service is rendered unless financial arrangements have been made with the financial coordinator. We accept cash, checks, visa, Master Card, American Express, and Discover. CareCredit is offered as an option for extended payment (see the links page to get information or sign up).

2. Insurance- Insurance should be viewed as an aid in helping make dental treatment affordable. Unlike other types of insurance, dental insurance will generally not pay for 100% of services and the patient will have a deductible and/or co-payment that they are responsible for paying. Insurance plan benefits are decreasing and the amount that patients are responsible for is, therefore, increasing. Payment percentages are decreasing and payment of services by secondary insurance plans is no longer guaranteed due to cost-cutting non-duplication of benefits clauses in contracts.

a. Please bring your insurance card and any insurance information you have. This will help estimate your benefits.

b. Co-payments and deductibles are due on the date of service. We will estimate (or predetermine on larger cases) the co-payment amount and make payment arrangements prior to treatment. The patient is responsible for any balance that the insurance does not cover. Pretreatment Estimates by the insurance company are not guarantees of payment by the insurance company and the patient is responsible for unpaid balances.

c. We will file your insurance as a courtesy and follow-up on delayed claims for 60 days. After this time period, any unpaid balance is the responsibility of the patient. Insurance is a contract between the employer, the insurance company, and the patient and we cannot be responsible for extensive involvement in the administration of your employment benefit. Problems that extend beyond 60 days should be taken up with the human resources director at your place of employment.

3. We employ a 24 hour cancellation policy and reserve the right to charge a fee for broken appointments. Please respect our time and that of the other patients.